Letters to the editor for Wednesday, February 20, 2013

After hearing Gov. Cuomo's State of the State Address, I am appalled at his lack of consideration to the intelligence of those whom he governs.

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Posted Feb. 20, 2013 at 2:00 AM

Posted Feb. 20, 2013 at 2:00 AM

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After hearing Gov. Cuomo's State of the State Address, I am appalled at his lack of consideration to the intelligence of those whom he governs.

I recently changed party affiliation to Democrat in part because Cuomo demonstrated a belief that we had too much government. Overlapping services are costing us untold dollars. Cuomo sought to rein in spending through a 2 percent tax cap, thereby forcing accountability all levels of public service.

It seems that his self-proclaimed conservatism has been short-lived and has left me extremely disappointed. Cuomo has called for tax increases all over the state. Why is it that politicians feel that if they refer to moneys flowing toward the government coffers as fees or surcharges, then they're not taxes?

Cuomo wants to raise the minimum wage. Then he wants to provide incentives to stimulate new enterprises that will create increased competition to those already in existence. The notion that government creates jobs is ludicrous. Industry and commerce create jobs. Government creates overhead.

These statements seem to lay the foundation for a man with ambitions toward gaining residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and little to do with fiscal integrity and well-thought-out governance.

Richard G. Ostner

New Windsor

A recent letter with regard to reinstating the draft was right on. I agree that this country needs the draft to be reinstated.

The military offers so many advantages to men and women (yes, I would include women in the draft). The military is the great equalizer. Whoever you are, wherever you are from, you have to pull your own weight and be a part of a team.

The military affords opportunities to those who are so limited in experiences they have not been out of their own hometown. It also affords opportunities to those who have so much they have never had the perspective of being a part of something larger than themselves.

Most of all, we all should be part of the maintenance of this greatest country. We cannot leave it to a chosen few. We should all be given the opportunity to bond with our country.

God bless America and the brave men and women who protect her.

Camille Reid

Wallkill

Gov. Cuomo's insinuation that the Department of Corrections' sole purpose in New York state is to be a jobs program is an insult to the highest degree. It's a slap in the face to the men and women who make sure New York state and its prison system, per capita, remain one of the safest in the nation.

Correction personnel did not create prisons, nor did they create the laws that put people in prison. Correction officers did not create the budget deficit, nor should they have to unduly pay the price for it.

The governor, for true "cost-saving" measures, need only look no further than Albany. There is a law in place that requires all prison closures to be announced with a minimum of one-year notice. The governor and his "people" have chosen in the past to force our elected representatives to approve laws and measures they would otherwise not approve of is a bully tactic that only an elected official with little or no understanding of what the true meaning of an "elected representative" is.

As a correction officer for New York state, I have seen firsthand what happens when the state makes deep cuts and closes correctional facilities. Budget cuts in the Department of Corrections put the safety of all who work and are confined within the prison system at risk.